Dr. Jay's Story

Dr. Jay Smith knew going to his emergency room could be a nightmare because of how long people had to wait. He’s the vice chair of Gwinnett Medical Hospital’s ER, where there were nearly 64,000 preventable ER visits in 2013. A big reason behind the number was that Gwinnett County has one of the highest rates of uninsured or underinsured people in Greater Atlanta. With nowhere else to turn, many of these people used the ER as a primary care facility. As a result, Dr. Smith’s ER was a mix of people with true emergencies and people in need of routine care, some of them very ill because they had waited until they were desperate to seek care.

Dr. Smith found a solution during a meeting with fellow United Way advisory board members from other counties. He learned of a program in Fulton County that connects uninsured people to third party resources and reduces non-emergency ER visits.  He loved the idea and worked with the United Way to create Project Health Access Gwinnett.

Through United Way partnerships, Project Health Access allows people who lack health insurance to find treatment in a network of hospitals, free clinics and homeless service organizations. The facilities take some of the burden off emergency rooms by providing treatment for chronic illnesses like high blood pressure and diabetes, as well as offering preventative care. 

A healthy patient or family with a primary healthcare provider doesn’t mean United Way’s work stops. Programs are offered to help individuals and families get back on their feet financially, provide quality education for their children and set them on a path to more stable lives.